Live coverage of England's first match in the 2010 World Cup averaged 17.7 million and a peak of 19.4 million. However, that match – also a 1-1 draw, against the USA – kicked off at 7.30pm on a Saturday night.

A better comparison is with England's final group game in 2010, the 1-0 win over Slovenia, which kicked off at 3pm on a Wednesday and averaged 12.8 million and a 78.4% share for live match coverage.

England failed to qualify for Euro 2008, so we have to go back to 2004 for a ratings comparison for the national team's first match in the tournament.

Then live coverage of England's 2-1 defeat to France averaged 17.6 million and a 67% share for a Sunday night kick-off.

Monday's other Euro 2012 fixture, co-host Ukraine's 2-1 win over Sweden, attracted an average audience of 6.2 million viewers and a 25.5% share for BBC1's live coverage over two hours from 7.45pm.

Full BBC1 coverage averaged 5.3 million and a 22.4% share over three hours from 7pm.

BBC1's live football was up against competition including ITV1's Coronation Street (8pm-9pm: 8.2 million/32.8%) and a Benidorm repeat (9pm: 3 million/12.3%), BBC2's Springwatch (8pm: 2.3 million/9%, including BBC HD) and documentary Britain in a Day (9pm: 1.3 million/5.8%).

Ye Olde London Town

London: a Tale of Two Cities with Dan Cruickshank on BBC4 was by some distance Monday's most watched multichannel show.

Cruickshank's look at how London's 17th century history – including the plague, Civil War and the great fire – shaped the capital's future averaged 928,000 viewers and a 3.9% audience share from 9pm.

US drama import Revenge is shaping up as a solid hit for E4, with the third episode averaging 651,000 viewers and a 2.7% share, also in the 9pm hour.

Another US import, Watch's Grimm, was the most watched show on pay-TV channels, averaging 487,000 viewers and a 2% share from 9pm.

All ratings are Barb overnight figures, including live, +1 (except for BBC and some other channels including Sky1) and same day timeshifted (recorded) viewing, but excluding on demand, or other – unless otherwise stated. Figures for BBC1, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 generally include ratings for their HD simulcast services, unless otherwise stated

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